Rotor & Wing Magazine :: Military :: Special Ops

Northrop Grumman Corporation has received a contract from the U.S. Navy for the continued production of the AN/AES-1Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS). The contract includes the production of five ALMDS pod subsystems, support equipment, spares and technical support. The ALMDS is mounted on an MH-60S helicopter. Flying over sea lanes, it finds and geolocates mine-like objects with its pulsed...

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officials working from a Royal Navy (RN) warship, HMS Argyll, have uncovered a haul of cocaine valued at more than $16 million that was hidden onboard a private yacht transiting...

Bell Helicopter will be showcasing the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X this month at the Africa Aerospace and Defense (ADD) show in Tshwane, South Africa. Currently, there are more than 170 Bell 206 Jet Rangers operating in Africa, most of them over 20 years...

From Boeing’s facility in St. Louis—“Customers need innovation, ideas and affordability. They want more capability at the right time and the right price,” said Chris Chadwick, President and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, speaking as Boeing was preparing to attend the Farnborough airshow in July. He stated that the company’s general attitude was now to take a...

Russian Helicopters is breaking further into the Middle Eastern market by supplying the Kazakhstan Emergencies Ministry and Kazakhstan Border Service with Mi-171 helicopters for use in border patrol, search and rescue missions and personnel and cargo transport. The Border Service has already received its Mi-171Sh, which will be used in routine patrols of the Kazakh border and also to transport special...

The Indonesian Navy has announced its intention to purchase 16 Airbus Helicopters AS565 Panther aircraft for use in anti-submarine warfare. The medium twin-engine helicopter – a militarized version of the AS365 Dauphin – will come equipped with an assortment of specialized technology, including dipping sonar, and will be based aboard the service's SIGMA 10514-class guided missile...

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is spearheading the development of a new rotary-wing aircraft software and sensor system that would bring autonomous approaches and landings via manned or unmanned helicopters. According to ONR, the autonomous aerial cargo/utility system (AACUS) is...

Landing on a U.S. Navy ship. The U.S. Army is expanding its capabilities to protect the Persian Gulf region through joint training exercises with the U.S. Navy and friendly Middle East countries. Particular emphasis is being placed on working with the Navy to develop tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) for littoral (close to shore) operations in the region, to include over-water survival training and...

Helicopter operations in the last decade have concentrated on counterinsurgency (COIN) operations and asymmetric warfare as witnessed in both Iraq and Afghanistan. By all reports they have got pretty good at it too. But by the end of 2015 the stated ambition is for all International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) to leave Afghanistan. Then what? Contingency is the new watchword, at least in the UK and...

One of the criticisms of the early years of British military operations in Afghanistan from the summer of 2006 was that there were not enough soldiers – or helicopters – to support the challenge of the mission. Early on, accepted policy in Helmand Province dictated the support of regional seats of government, which effectively tied the British Army into “platoon houses” soon after...

The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) Air Show was held at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, over the past weekend. (A Finnish Army NH90 TTL flies at the RIAT Air Show. Photo, courtesy of Andrew Drwiega.) Perhaps due to the sequestration issue limiting the numbers of U.S. Air Force (USAF)...

Eurocopter has signed a €194-million ($252-million) contract with the German Federal Ministry of Defense for 15 EC645 T2 light utility helicopters for the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK), part of Germany’s Special Forces Command. The missions that the helicopters are expected to perform for the special operations command include day/night...

Boeing has obtained a $34-million cost plus fixed fee contract for an MH-47G special operations variant Chinook from the U.S. Army. Delivery is expected by Oct. 31, 2015. This is the first of eight scheduled for handover to the U.S. Army through 2017. The first MH-47G was deployed in 2007 and the final airframe of the 61 remanufactured...

Boeing has obtained a $34-million cost plus fixed fee contract for an MH-47G special operations variant Chinook from the U.S. Army. Delivery is expected by Oct. 31, 2015. This is the first of eight scheduled for handover to the U.S. Army through 2017. The first MH-47G was deployed in 2007 and the final airframe of the 61 remanufactured MH-47Gs was delivered...

Mindful of the day when Afghan forces will need to conduct operations together, the Kandahar Air Wing were brought together with the 4th Lightning Strike Pathfinder Academy to conduct cargo loading and familiarization exercises. It was the first time the two had operated together. The exercise took place on December 5 and was coordinated by Pathfinders of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment...

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